Leah Lim

Charity Welker
ENGLISH 1010
8 October 2015

Silver Lake is located at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon at 8,760 ft. This
popular lake is a family- friendly destination with a beautiful area to hike. Its a great
place for all age groups: children, seniors, and the handicapped to enjoy the outdoors and
access to fishing, too. The trail around the lake is associated wetlands is about a mile
long, most of it is wheelchair accessible boardwalk. On the boardwalk there are displays
of signs for the public of the public to become educated about the flowers, animals, and
ecosystems of the area as well as watershed and drinking implications. There are picnic
tables, educational signs, and fishing access points along the route. For the adventurous
hiker, several other trails intersect with the Silver Lake Loop Trail including the Twin
Lakes Trail, Lake Solitude Trail, and the Brighton Lakes Trail. At the Silver Lakes
Center there is many educational boards set; about histories, animals, flowers, and many
more.

I stepped out of the car onto the parking lot; there was a bathroom to the left. The
sky was dark and gloomy; a chilly breeze past by. Walking onto the sidewalk pavement I
saw big rocks decorating the area; the land was almost naked. As I continued to walk I
saw a small building, Solitude Nordic Center and Silver Lake Information Center. Just
inside the entrance to the Silver Lake Information Center, there were displays of

historical events and information around the building. There was this large tree ring
display; this Engelmann Spruce made its home in Little Cottonwood Canyon. It lived for
376 years. I can count the rings and find the year I was born in. Two male rangers was
standing behind the desk booth; taking among themselves. As I walked around the
building it suddenly becomes quiet; looking around frantically I quickly exited the
building. Before leaving I grabbed two pamphlets on information about Utah hiking
listing areas, dogs and the Wasatch Front Watershed.

I came out of the building and I turned to the left. I walked toward the hiking trail.
At the beginning of the trail there were three big board signs: The Wasatch Front
Watershed, an Information Board, and Dont Shred the Shed. There were also two small
signs: PLEASE NO BICYCLES OR MOTORIZED VECHILES ON BOARDWALK and
NO DOGS ALLOWED. The US Forest Service built the walkway; a wooden boardwalk
is beautiful, every time I took a step there was a clicking or thumping noise. It was
smooth and perfectly designed. In the background there was beautiful scenery of the
season changing into fall; the leaves changing their colors. A nice, cold breeze blew at
me; it look like it was going to rain. The boardwalk is surrounded by wetlands and
educational displays about the animals that lived in the wetland. The protected watershed
is where our drinking water comes from, and it has special rules to make sure the stays
clean, including the exclusion of dogs and other domestic animals.

Walking toward the lake there was a group of elementary children. Looking
closely around the area I saw many more groups of children with teachers or volunteers. I
saw many children, families, elders, and a baby in a stroller. By the lake I saw the young
and old people holding their fishing poles; waiting patiently for the fishes. I heard the
sound of the stroller clicking on the boardwalk. I saw the children running across the
boardwalk to the lake and back to the entrance. I saw the woman pushing the stroller had
lost her nephew shoe, but she didnt feel bothered about losing it. She said, I will find it
on the way back. The group of children walked past her; a little girl compliment the
baby saying, He is the cutest baby I have ever seen!

Suddenly a hard gust of wind began to blow. My entire body started to get goose
bumps; a light drop of rain fell onto my face. It started to lightly rain and the atmosphere
suddenly got cold. I saw the aunt halfway to the lake and she stops and turned the stroller
back to the entranceway; she started to race back to the parking lot. Even though it began
to rain harder, the park was calm and quiet. As the lady ran back everyone else stayed
where they were; the rain didnt affect them at all. I saw fishermen covering around the
entire lake. As I walk back to the parking lot; I saw boards covered with informations
about Beavers: Wetland Architects, Tiger Salamander, Chorus Frog, and Boreal Toad;
behind the information boards are houses of the different animals. I saw that there
werent any more flowers, just marshland grass and thick branches covering the
boardwalk.

Before coming I have done research about the wildflower; shooting stars, white
bog orchid, elephantheads, willows, sedges, rushes, pink geraniums, blue penstemons,
columbines, pink firewood, and many more. I was very excited to see all the beautiful
wildflowers but there were none; nothing at all. All the wildflowers had already died but
the atmosphere gave a seasonal change of fall coming. Along the path tress of pine cones
and the yellow marshland had drops of rain; the marshland covered the entire boardwalk
land area.

I walked back to the entrance; I stared back at the big board filled with signs and
information of the area. While reading the poster, a family passed by me; one of the
daughter ran toward the lake; the mother and here son walked side by side enjoying the
view; a father and his daughter held their fishing pole and supplies. As I came across the
parking lot, I saw the groups of children gathering around the picnic area. Children
around the lake and the parking lot came together; ready to eat their lunch. I overheard
that they came here to have a school fieldtrip. The picnic tables were filled with children
talking and laughing; there were many lunch bags on the picnic table as well.

Walking to the car I saw a man holding dark, navy blue and a bright orange
raincoats; he gave and passed these raincoats to all the teachers and volunteers. More cars
came to park arriving more with children. I heard a truck backing up by the group of
children; the truck provided more lunch for the field trippers. Getting in the car and
closing the door; I am back to reality.

Works Cited
Intermountain Region Viewing Area. Silver Lake Loop Trail, Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt Lake City Ranger District, Web. 9 Jan.
2016.
Silver Lake Big Cottonwood Canyon Hiking. Silver Lake- Big Cottonwood Canyon
Hiking. Web. 9 Jan. 2016.